Neighborhood
Electric Vehicles or NEV is a vehicle that is capable of traveling at a maximum
speed of 25mph. They come with safety features like headlights, turn
signals and seat belts. In most States and in some Canadian provinces they can be operated
on the roads where the posted speed limit is 35mph or less and can cross streets
posted at 45mph or less. They may
also be referred to as Low Speed Vehicles or LSVs. Some states, such as
Washington and Montana have also passed Medium Speed Vehicle legislation
allowing some NEVs to be modified for speeds of 35mph and allow them to run on
roads with a posted speed limit of 45mph or less - check with your State's DMV
to see if your state allows LSVs of MSVs in your state.

NEWS:4/25/2011 -Chrysler has
agreed to sell GEM to Polaris Industries.

Global
Electric Motor Cars is the maker of the GEM. They were acquired by Chrysler
in 2000 and the NEVS are now being sold through a limited number of Chrysler
dealers as well as through the old GEM dealer network

GEMS
come is a variety of models including 2 4 and and 6 seat versions and two
utility versions, a long bed and a short bed. They are all based on a 72V
lead acid battery pack that drives the vehicle at a top speed of 25mph.
The vehicles also come with a turf mode for use on the golf course that limits
the top speed to 18mph.

GEM
also produce the E6S version which is a six passenger that also has
a short bed attached to the back. This vehicle exceeds the weight limits
in the current Federal LSV legislation however so it won't be street legal

GEM
also launched a whole new set of accessories in 2006, including a flat
bed attachment for the GEM 4 seat and a lock for the steering wheel..

Columbia
ParCar has been a maker of golf carts for over 50 years. They
have been making a NEV, the
Columbia ParCar NEV Commuter, for several years now. They now have two
model ranges, the Summit and the Eagle.

The
Summit comes in four different body styles, a two seat, a four seat, a short bed
utility and a long bed utility. The Summit
Brochure Gives a range on these vehicles as between 35 and 40
miles.

The
Eagle NEV comes in two body styles, a 2 seat and a four seat. This vehicle
uses the same power platform as the Eagle golf cart range which has been tried
and tested over many years. For more information check out the Eagle
Brochure.

Both
of these NEVs come in a variety of colors
and can be bought with custom designs.

The
California Roadster,
produced by American Custom Golf Cars Inc, is a four seat NEV that comes in a choice of Red, Yellow, Blue or White.
The car has two bucket seats for the driver and front passenger and a rear
facing bench seat at the back. The vehicle
comes with an 11HP motor powered by a 48V battery pack that can be built using
six eight volt batteries or eight six volt batteries. The car comes equipped with the usual safety features such as
head and tail lights, turn signals, horn and seat belts. They claim a range of
up to 70 miles although I would expect the usual 25-30 miles of range from this
NEV with the 8V battery option and somewhat better range with the 6V battery
option. They also offer a 6 seat version with a slightly more powerful
motor.

Another
offering from this company is the Hummer H3, which is usually offered as a
custom golf cart ,but can be fitted out as a NEV for use on the streets.
They also produce a NEV that looks like a Cadillac Escalade.

They
can be ordered directly from the Chino, CA based company using their order
page or by calling (866) 287-9747

E-Z-GO
has been one of the largest manufacturers of golf cars for many years and they
have now released a pair of NEVs under the name 2Five,
a 2 seat and a 4 seat.

The
2 seat is powered by 4 12V deep cycle Lead Acid batteries that drive a 4.4 hp
electric motor via a 235 amp AC controller providing a top speed of 25
mph. There is also a turf mode that limits speed to 14 mph for use on the
golf course. Stopping is done with 4 wheel disk brakes and full time
regenerative braking.

The
4 seat appears to the be same as the 2 seat with the addition of a rear facing
seat. E-Z-GO does provide three point seat belts for the rear seat
passengers as well as the front seat passengers.

Price
is expected to be around $8,300 for the two seat and $9,000 for the 4 seat

So
far I haven't found any indication of range for these NEVs but I would assume
about 25 miles in real world driving

The
Tomberlin Group has been a leading manufacturer of off road vehicles like ATV
for some time. They have recently forned a new subsidiary, Tomberlin
Automotive Group to sell NEVs.

They
initially offered line of NEVs called the E-Merge,
a two seat called the E-Merge E-2 and a four seat version called the E-Merge
E-4. Both are based on a 48V system and offer a top speed of 25 mph and a
range of about 30 miles.

A
more aggressive looking two seat
utility called the Anvil is
also now available in Tomberlin dealerships

Club
car is one of the largest manufacturers of golf cars in the world and its
chassis is often used by NEV manufacturers as the basis of their vehicles.
Now Club
Car has launched a line of NEVs which include both passenger and utility
vehicles.

The
Villager 2+2 LSV has two forward facing seats with a rear facing bench seat that
will allow two additional passengers. The canopy of the NEV only covers
the two front seats so the rear passengers are exposed to the elements.
The front seats also come equipped with three point seat belts while the rear
facing seat has lap belts.

The
car is driven by a 48V Lead Acid battery pack consisting of 6 eight volt
batteries driving a 5hp DC motor via a 350amp controller. This gives the
car a quoted range of between 20 and 30 miles but I would assume 20 miles in
real world driving. Top speed is 22 to 24mph. Stopping is
accomplished by drum brakes on all four wheels.

Carryall
2 LSV is a short bed utility vehicles that is driven by a 48 Volt Lead Acid pack
consisting of 8 six volt batteries that drives a 4hp 3 phase AC induction motor
via a 400amp controller. Top speed is 25mph and there is also an economy
mode that limits top speed to 15mph. Stopping is accomplished with disk
brakes on the front wheels and drums on the rear. Real world range is
expected to be around 20 miles.

The
Carryall 6 LSV is a long be utility vehicle that is driven by a 48 Volt Lead
Acid pack consisting of 8 six volt batteries that drives a 4hp 3 phase AC
induction motor via a 400amp controller. Top speed is 25mph and there is
also an economy mode that limits top speed to 15mph. Stopping is
accomplished with disk brakes on the front wheels and drums on the rear.
Total carrying capacity is 1,250lbs. Real world range is expected to be
around 20 miles.

e-ride
industries started life in 1990 as a manufacturer of custom golf
carts. They now manufacture a NEV which is designed to look like an SUV
and is about the same size as a Jeep Wrangler. The vehicle is made in two configurations,
the EXV4, a four
passenger sedan, and the EXV2 utility vehicle. These vehicles are based on a 72
volt flooded cell battery pack that provides a top speed of 25 mph and a claimed
range of 55 miles although I would expect range to be somewhat less in real
world driving. In tests they have achieved 60 miles range on a flat
surface and a 48 mile range in a mile long loop designed to simulate city
traffic.

To keep down weight the vehicle is built around an aluminum frame
while the hood, doors and rear cargo area are all fiberglass. The vehicle comes with an on-board charger and
provides regenerative braking to increase range. It also comes with all
the safety features needed to make it road legal, such as turn signals,
headlights and seatbelts.

For
more information of to purchase one of the NEVs Contact:

3171 92nd Avenue

Princeton, MN 55371

Phone: (763)
389-9169or
(800) 950-4351

Fax: (763) 389-2417

In North Carolina they can be
found at Bleecker Electric Car Company, Fayetteville, NC

Vantage
Vehicles, based in Yorba Linda, CA, has been selling off-road gasoline
powered vehicles since 1999. Their vehicles are built in China by China
First Automobile Group.

They
have now begun to offer the same vehicles as NEVs. There are four models
to choose from. The GreenTruck Extended Cab seats two The GreenTruck Crew
Cab seats up to 5, the GreenVan Cargo Van seats 2 and the GreenVan Passenger Van
seats up to 7. All the vehicles are powered by a 72 volt battery
pack. The GreenTruck Extended Cab uses 6V batteries while the others all
use 12V batteries. Power is supplied to the wheels through a Curtis
Controller driving a three phase brushless induction motor. The vehicles
all have a top speed of 25mph and can accelerate to that speed in around 5
seconds. Range is quoted as up to 60 miles but in real world driving I
would expect about 30 miles. The vehicles also come with a dual volt
charger.

The
Vantage Vehicles web site is oriented toward their sales of off-road vehicles so
it isn't clear that these vehicles are street legal. However, I have been
told by dealers that they are able to register these vehicles for street use as
NEVs.

You
can purchase the Vantage Vehicles line of NEVs in Iowa through the VanWall
group.

B.I.G.
Man introduced the Barton NEV
at the ETI conference held in Florida in December, 2002. This NEV appears
to be the same vehicle that used to be offered for rental at various
locations around the country by HarlandEV.

The
vehicle is looks similar to the GEM. It is powered by a 48V DC
motor. On their web site they claim a 10 hour charge time gives up to 75
miles of range. This seems to be very high but as there is no indication
of the battery configuration we will have to wait to see what real world
performance is.

They
have recently added a utility vehicle, called the Shorty, to their
range.

The
B.I.G. Man is now available but the company is targeting fleet operators like
cruise lines and resorts. For more information on how to purchase on of
these NEVs contact Barton Investment Group Manufacturing LLC at"

LC3,
based in Fort Wayne, IN took over the Lafayette County Car Company after they
went out of business. The company now manufactures a line of Neighborhood Electric Vehicles
that includes a 2 seat and a 4 seat vehicles.

The cars are powered by a 72
volt lead acid battery pack which gives the car a range of between 46-50 miles
between charges although I would expect the usable mileage in real world driving
is somewhat less than this. The batteries are charged using the on-board
charger from a standard household 110V source. Stopping is accomplished
with hydraulic disk brakes on all four wheels. Speed selection is
available to allow 25mph for use on city streets or 15mph for use on the golf
course. The cars some with all the required safety features required for
NEV certification.

The
LC3 is a golf cart style NEV and comes with a removable hard top. They are
available in red, white, or blue.

Canadian
Electric Vehicles make the Might-E
Truck which can be ordered in a variety of configurations including pick-up,
Van, Flat Bed or Tipper, or can be ordered as a cab and Chassis for addition of
a customized body.

The
Might-E Truck is full NEV certified with a top speed of 25mph and all the safety
equipment such as seat belts, lights, horn and turn indicators, that are
required to meet NEV regulations.

The
heart of the Might-E Truck is a 72V 225ah battery pack made up of 6 12V lead
acid batteries that drives a 16HP Sepex motor via a 400 amp Sepex
controller. Range is quoted at 50 miles although you will obviously get a
much lower usable range when hauling loads in real world traffic. Load
capacity is 900lbs with an option to boost this to 200lbs.

Stopping
is accomplished by hydraulic drum brakes on both front and rear wheels.
All wheel disk brakes are also offered and an option.

Italcar
is a manufacturer of low speed electric vehicles, utility vehicles, and golf
cars. Their street legal line of vehicles is called the Attiva and comes
in a variety of 2 and 4 seat models based around a 48V electric power
train. These golf car style NEV are powered by 8 six volt 230 amp hour
batteries and Curtis controller offering a top speed of 38kph (24mph) and a
range of around 80Km (50 miles) although I would expect a lower range in real
world driving.

For
safety the cars come equipped with a roll bar and three point safety
belts. Stopping is accomplished with front disk brakes and rear
drums.

To
locate a dealer near you go to the Attiva
page and click on the "dealers" button

French
company SECMA build a line of low speed vehicles called the Fun, which
are mostly powered by a standard internal combustion engine. They do make one electric
version however; the Fun Electric
which is sold in the UK as the QPOD
City Electric which is an open topped teardrop shaped vehicle with the rear wheels
placed close together in a design reminiscent of the BMW Isetta bubble
car. A 36V lead acid battery pack drives a 1.9 KW Permanent magnet motor
giving the car a top speed of 45 kph (28 mph) and a range of about 40 Kilometers
(25 miles). The body is a single piece of high resistance polyethelene
mounted on a tubular steel frame.

The
design of the QPOD City Electric is intended to as a safer alternative to a
moped or scooter. Prices start at around £5000.

Lido
motors was founded by Lee Iacoca but was subsquently taken over by Western
Golf Cart who continue to build this NEV. They manufacture several different
models of NEV including a 4 seat version and a two seat runabout with a short
truck bed. The design of the lido gives it a look similar to the Chrysler
PT Cruiser. The vehicles have a top speed of 25 mph and a range of about
30 miles. They come equipped with seat belts, turn signals, and
headlights. They are available through several dealerships including one in Palm Desert CA
and one in Henderson NV. Check out their Dealer
Locator for a dealer near you

Western
Glof Cars builds a variety of 2 and 4 seat NEVs based on the EZ-GO Golf Cart
chassis. There is the Elegant, Model 100, Model 300, Model 400 and a Flat Bed
Truck. These NEVs look very much like a conventional golf cart.

Their
latest vehicle is the Anthem
which is currently only available in California

Tiger
Truck sells a line of electric trucks called the Electric
Tiger Star that includes a standard pick-up along with an extended cab and
crew cab versions. They also sell an electric van called the Electric
Tiger Star Van. They are all come with a 48V pack consisting of 8 X 6V
batteries giving a top speed of 24mph and a quoted range of between 52 to 18
miles when fully loaded in stop start traffic. The range quotes actually
seem close to what I would expect from a vehicle like this. They come with
all the usual safety equipment so they are classified as NEVs.

Ruff
and Tuff Electric Vehicles has been making off-road electric carts for many
years. They now offer two NEV vehicles along with LSV packages to make all their vehicles fully street legal

The
two NEV models are the NEV2 which provides two forward facing seats and an
optional rear facing bench seat, and the NEV4 has 4 forward facing seats with an
optional rear facing bench seat.

The
NEVs are powered by a 3.8KW DC motor driven by a 400amp Curtis controller for a
top speed of 25mph. Power is supplied from a 48V battery pack made up of
six 8V maintenance free lead acid batteries. The NEV2 and NEV4 come with
all the safety items like turn signals, headlights, seat belts, horn etc.
required to comply with DOT Low Speed Vehicle certification.

Wheego
Electric Cars, which is a spinoff of Ruff and Tuff Electric Vehicles, is
makes a fully enclosed NEV called the
Wheego Wip. The Wheego Wip is based on the Chinese made Noble which is one
of those cars that looks very much like a Smart but at 118.5 inches long, 63.2
inches wide, and 63 inches tall, it is a little bigger in size. Like the
Smart, the Wheego Wip seats 2 people but it has plenty of cargo room behind the
rear hatch to carry a weeks supply of groceries from the store.

The
cars are shipped from China to the Ruff and Tuff facility in Ontario, CA as a
glider. The gliders are then fitted out with an AC motor driven by a 96V
battery pack using AGM lead acid batteries. The original transmission is
retained but it is locked into 2nd gear. The car is limited to a top speed
of 25mph and the company says that it will achieve 40 miles on a charge in real
world driving. The car can be plugged in to any 110V outlet and required
about 8 hours for a full charge, or for faster charging it can be plugged into a
220V outlet with the optional dual charging system

Stopping
is accomplished by power assisted front disk and rear drum brakes. The car
also makes use of regenerative braking. Power steering is also
standard.

For
those states that have medium speed vehicle legislation in place the controller
can easily be modified to increase the top speed of the car to 35mph although
this will also decrease real world range if driven at the higher speed.

Verdek-EV
have started to import the Italian Built Tazzari
Zero electric microcar into the USA. The car, which is nine and a half
feet long, five feet wide, and four feet seven inches tall, is a two door, two
seat.

The
car is powered from a Lithium battery pack driving the rear wheels via a three
phase asynchronous motor has a top speed limited to 25mph to comply with US NEV
laws. Range is of about 87 miles in economy mode and I would expect that
you can come close to this in normal driving.

Stopping
is accomplished by disk brakes on all four wheels. Regenerative braking is
standard.

The
car can be charged from a regualr 110V outlet in about 10 hours.

The
car also comes with most modern conveniences such as power door locks and an
CD/MP3 player.

Gorilla
Vehicles markets electric ATVs. They have now made a version of
their 36V vehicle street legal and are selling it as an NEV. They
have a body built of tough dent resistant color impregnated plastic and comes in
three colors, red green and yellow. The vehicle seats two people has a
rated range of 20 to 35 miles. This is a great vehicle for anyone who
wants a NEV that doesn't look like a golf cart.

Taylor-Dunn
have long been know for building quality electric utility vehicles for
industrial use. They have not entered the NEV market with the Electruck
which has a full sized deck giving a capacity of 147 cubic feet of cargo
space. It has a 72 volt battery pack that gives it a top speed of 25mph
and a range of up to 40 miles. The vehicle comes with all the safety
feature such as headlights, tail and brake lights, turn signals, horn,
windshield wipers and seat belts that allow this vehicle to be registered for
use on city streets with speed limits of 35mph or less. It has a
fiberglass cabin with aluminum doors comes equipped with both rear view and side
view mirrors.

Oka
Auto USA is a division of Mirox Corp and is the exclusive importer and US
representative of "Small Car Plan" the Russian manufacturer of the OKA
mini car. The NEV is based around a Fiat transmission, with final assembly
done in the Mirox Corp facility in Nevada.

The
car features a 48V DC motor driven by two parallel strings of 4 12V lead acid
batteries. More advanced battery chemistries are also available. It
can be recharged from any standard 110V outlet.

The
Oka NEV has a top speed of 25mph and complies with all US safety standards for low speed
vehicles. This car would be a good candidate for a medium speed vehicle in
those states that have MSV legislation.

The
Oka is priced at around $8,000 for the base model with the Luxury model selling
for around $10,000.

The
Startlab Open is a two seat car built in Italy. The street legal vehicles
come in two versions, the "street" and "Hobby".

The
Street has a maximum speed of 45 kph (28 mph) and they quote a range of 68
kilometers (42 miles) per charge.

The Hobby is slightly slower at 38 kph
(25 mph) which gives it a slightly higher range.

The car is powered by a
210V lead acid battery pack that drives a 4KW brushless DC. Weight is kept
down by using an all aluminum chassis while the McPherson Strut suspension
should provided a better than average ride.

Chinese
company Kandi Technologies Corporation, which builds a line of ATV and Utility
vehicles, has just started shipping an electric version of the Coco, which can
be registered in the
US
as a NEV.

The
Coco Electric is one of the Chinese built smart clones and looks very similar to
the Flybo and itís variants from the front.However, the car comes as a two seat convertible with a small open
storage space in the back.

This
NEV is powered by 4000W AC motor driven by a 72V AC Motor powered by 6 12V
105AHr Trojan batteries which can be charged from empty in 6-7 hours from a
standard 110V receptacle.Top speed
in 25mph and range is quoted as 60 miles on a charge although I would expect
somewhat lower range in real world driving.

Four
wheel disk brakes provide plenty of stopping power.The car comes with all the safety features that are required to meet
DOT
NEV
certification and structural integrity is enhanced by a roll cage.

Florida
based Road Rat Motors. sell a line of NEVs,
branded as "citEcar" electric vehicles. All vehicles are assembled in
their Gainesville, Florida assembly plant. They have a wide variety of
electric vehicles including street legal golf carts, low speed vehicles, utility
vehicles, and passenger shuttles. Their models range from two to twenty
ninepassengers, with many models in between.

The
vehicles are based on a 48V system and use Curtis controllers along with Trojan batteries
that give these vehicles a range of 50 miles, although I would expect a somewhat
lower range in real world driving. All of their vehicles come fully loaded
with features such as aluminum wheels, a cd player with sound system, and an on
board charger.

All
models can be retrofitted with solar panels and rain enclosures which are
available in both hard and soft compounds.

Prices
start at about $4500 and go up to $15,000 depending on model.

You
can purchase directly from their web site or from their Store in Gainesville, FL

Tio
is another company that is selling the Chinese made Th!nk Neighbor and GEM
clones that look identical to the NEVs offered by Cart-Rite and some of the
range offered by GatorMoto. Their range has four and six seat versions of
the Th!nk Clone and a 2 seat version of the GEM clone. All are based on a
48V system using 6V batteries. The four and six seat versions have a top
speed of 25 mph The 2 seat has a top speed of 20 mph. All three NEVs
have a quoted range of 50 miles although I would expect somewhat less range in
real world driving. Like many Chinese built vehicles they come with US
made Controllers and batteries. In this instance they use Curtis
Controllers and Trojan batteries. Prices range from a little under $6,000
for the two seat to about $9600 for the six seat.

These
NEVs can be ordered through their Order
Page, or by calling (954) 239-1929.

Cruise
Car

Yet
another company selling the Chinese made Th!nk Neighbor and GEM clones is Cruise
Car inc. They are also selling 2 and 4 seat NEVs along with a short
bed utility vehicle that looks like cross between the Th!nk Neighbor and the
GEM. They also offer a line of golf carts and shuttles of various sizes
from 6 seat up to 14 seat.

The
cars are all based around a 48V lead acid battery pack using 8 6V Trojan
batteries which they claim will give a range of 49 miles. While range is
almost always overstated by EV manufacturers, this range doesn't seem too far
out and is probably achievable at low speed in a campus setting. Driving
around town at 25mph however I would only expect a range of about 35 miles.

They
also use a Curtis controller as standard and offer an optional SEVCON
controller.

The
other big difference in Cruise Car's offerings is that the vehicles come
equipped with solar panels on the roof. The company claims that these
panels can increase range by up to 15 miles per day but the usual experience is
about 2 miles per day, with perhaps 5 miles per day if you can keep the car
oriented towards the sun all day long on a hot cloudless day. The biggest
benefit that most people find with solar panels is that the constant trickle
charge helps prevent sulphation within the batteries increasing battery
life.

Another
line of Electric Vehicles that appear to be Chinese built clones of the Th!nk
Neighbor and GEM are the ones sold as Planet-EV
They market a whole line of electric vehicles, most
of which look like the Th!nk Neighbor but are based on a 48V system.

Models
include the Mercury EV 200 which is a clone of the 2 seat Th!nk, and the Neptune
Hauler which is a clone of the The Th!nk Wagon.

In
addition to the NEVs they also offer 4 and 6 seat vehicles.

These
Th!nk Clones are also sold via Planet-EV
in Lincoln, CA under the names Mercury EV 200 for the 2 seat, Atlas EV 400 for
the 4 seat, Venus EV 600 for the 6 seat, and Neptune Hauler for the short bed
Utility.

Dynasty
Motorcars , based in British Columbia, Canada, launched their IT NEV amid much
Fanfare. They built a small number of these vehicles and started to put
together a dealer network, but unfortunately ran out of cash and were forced to
shutdown operations. They were subsequently bought out
by Commercial Body Builders, a
Vancouver based company who has restarted production. They showed some of their vehicles
at the EVI conference held in Florida in the
middle of December 2002. They are now shipping vehicles to their dealers.

I
had a chance to talk to Dynasty Motorcars at EVS 20 and the good news is that
they are selling vehicles as fast as they can build them which looks good for
the long term health of the company.

The
IT is a four seat sedan that reminds me a little of the new beetle. Unlike
most NEVs it does not look like a golf cart. It is powered by an advanced
DC motor and features regenerative braking. six twelve volt Trojan flooded
cell batteries give the IT a quoted range of 30 miles (expect about 20 in real
world driving) at the top speed of 25 mph. It also features a turf mode
which limits the top speed to twelve mph for use on the golf course.
An additional twelve volt battery is used to power the auxiliary electrical
system.

There
are several other body styles that are also available including a van and a convertible.
The Sport is a four seat vehicle that uses the same drive train as the IT but
has a look that is more like a golf cart. They also have the Tropic which is
basically the same as the Sport but has a more open body design, the Utility
which is designed as a pickup truck, and the Van.

If
any owner out there would like to email evfinder and tell me their experience I would love to pass on the
information to prospective buyers. I would also like to hear about any
NEVs that are not listed here, or send any questions you might have about EVs.

Now for the fine print - remember always read the fine print

The information contained in this web site is based on information I have
received about the availability of vehicles both new and used. I attempt
to keep the information here as current as possible but I would appreciate being
notified of any inaccuracies you may find. The appearance of a vehicle on
this site does not imply any endorsement of that vehicle, or any implication
that the vehicle will be suitable for your needs. As always you should
investigate the vehicle and the seller before shelling out your hard earned
money.